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The Guardian - UK
The Guardian - UK
World
Deborah Cole in Berlin

Scandals fail to knock Germany’s AfD off course before electoral tests

A person in a crowd holds a sign reading 'AfD? No thank you'
A sign in the crowd at a protest for democracy in Berlin last weekend. Photograph: Liesa Johannssen/Reuters

Scandals buffeting Germany’s far-right AfD are unlikely to do enough damage to blow the party off course before pivotal elections this year, analysts say, but the votes will offer crucial insights into whether the centre can hold against an anti-democratic onslaught.

Embarrassing allegations of spying for China and collusion with Russia, after the bombshell revelation in January of a mass “remigration masterplan” for foreigners and German nationals alike backed by several party members, have sent the AfD’s poll numbers plunging to as low as 15% nationwide. That is its worst score since April 2023.

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